Selling your prints to art store on consignment

What would be a fair rate to be charged when selling a print in art gallery on consignment?

Well it all depends on the market you are in. Most art galleries do not buy your work so they are consignment shops. You have to figure out what price will allow your work to sell, and for you to make money minus the galleries fee. Size has much to do with the price as well. For example you cannot realistically expect to get $500 from an 8x10 glossy. Also making popular prints Limited Editions would bring up your price. If you have photos that you are having to replace often, then the price is too low, if they just sit there then it is too high. So I would price high first, and see if they sell. You can drop the price incrementally till you hit the right spot. If you price too low then raising the price is more difficult.

The last place I checked out charged 30%.

I think it can vary depending on if it's an artists' co-op, retail art gallery, etc. - and what size/type community it's in. I'd take into consideration what percentage of a sale the gallery gets, if there are any fees, how much it would cost to frame, ship, insure your photo etc. When I had something accepted into a juried exhibit I was familiar with the art center's gallery so knew the price range typically used there and priced mine accordingly.

Now do these consignment stores get buried with photographers dropping off photos for resale?

I don't know that you could just drop it off, although you could go in and see what type photos/art they sell, how works are priced, etc. I'd find out about their procedures and policies - probably there will be paperwork whether it's submitted online or in person. Most places in my experience want to maintain a certain quality so I think they'd most likely want to see your photos/artwork before they'd accept it.

Where I live it ranges from 40% to 60% for an art gallery or any place that regularly sells art.

Now do these consignment stores get buried with photographers dropping off photos for resale?

No. They usually select a small number of artists to represent. If they sell a variety of visual art they will probably only represent a few photographers. Exclusivity helps with sale value.

Now do you guys bring to consignment store already in frame? Or will you let them deal with that?

I think it all depends on what type of place it is, an artists' co-op, a private gallery, a gallery in a community art center, etc. I've submitted to a couple of places that gave an option to frame it yourself or pay for them to do it but those have been with juried exhibitions. Some have guidelines as to how they want it framed and may reserve the right to not display or accept it if it doesn't meet their requirements. I think it can depend on the type of art space it is and what their current exhibit is etc.,

Tim Kelley wrote: Now do you guys bring to consignment store already in frame? Or will you let them deal with that?

This I think depends on whether it is a gallery, or a consignment store. For a consignment yes I would deliver them framed, also I might deliver a portfolio book to place near the framed work so customers could look at more of my work, and possibly find something to their liking. Most consignment shops keep you to a very limited area so you need to maximize the use of it.Consignment shops get a fixed percentage for the sales, and some charge percentage, and fees. If they get a monthly fee then the percentage rate should be very low. If it is on percentage only then the rate will naturally be more. I avoid shops who charge a fee, and over 10% on what you sell because they will quickly eat up your money. Fact is I avoid any who charge for space at all, unless the fee is very cheap.
Now a gallery on the other hand may specify how they want your work delivered, they may say print only so they can choose the look they want for the gallery, and to show off your work. Or they may take your work framed, but tell you what is acceptable to them for the presentation. Some may even take it framed, change it themselves, and then bend you over in charges. One of the reasons why I have never liked galleries in general, I had one offer to put some of my work in during the late 70s early 80s of the punk scene I had shot, when I read their contract, I told them where to put it, by the time all was said and done, I would have made very little. So galleries I will never use, I also find the majority of the owners the type of people I want to hit because of their arrogance.

Tim Kelley wrote: Now do you guys bring to consignment store already in frame? Or will you let them deal with that?

I don't know anything about the consignment stores you guys are talking about. The consignment stores around here are little more than cleaned up flea markets. There's not a lot of art being sold.

As for art galleries some are also in business as framing shops. When I've worked with those places they want to do the framing. When I've worked with art galleries that don't do framing I delivered the work ready to hang.

We have some nice galleries around here that work on consignment. Mostly around the malls.

Thank you all for the help, I'm going to check on this.